“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.'” Exodus 16:4
December 6, 2022
Remember those tests we took in school? Sad to say, there were times when we didn’t take them seriously enough. Maybe we didn’t study enough and then the moment of truth came. God gave Israel tests in order to measure what was in their hearts. Tests do that. They prove the quality of our confidence in God. Adversity will do that. Warning: We are not to test God (Deut. 6:16; Ex. 17:7) by trying to see how patient God is and attempting to push Him as far as we can. There will be divine discipline for that (Num. 14:22-23). God will test us through the potential loss of a loved one, as He did Abraham (Gen. 22:1). He can put obstacles in our path, as when He gave Israel the challenge of dealing with the opposition of the Canaanites (Judges 2:22; 3:1,4). Tests can reveal how much we love God. He can test us by letting us have a need. Israel became very hungry in the wilderness. So God rained down bread on them to see if they would follow His instructions. He didn’t need to know what was in their hearts. They needed to know if they were willing to obey Him. Are we trusting in circumstances to make us happy while God is left out of the picture? Perhaps you are going through a difficult time now. Are you being tempted to attribute your problems to some psychological diagnosis or a medication that only covers up what is really going on within us? Medications can be a part of God’s providential care for us, but not substitutes for soul-searching and obedience. God wants us to know how serious we are about His wisdom and loving rule over our lives.
H
“Lord, in what way are you refining me through my present circumstances? O that I might walk more closely in your ways. Give me a stronger grip on the sufficiency of your Word.”